I Don't Want To Hold You Back
by Super Sonic Pizza Delivery
Summary: Sequel to I Don't Want To Be A Monster. When Sonic tries to travel back in time to find a cure for Shadow, something goes terribly wrong with the time stream, flinging him into a bleak future. While trying to return to his own time, Sonic must face both the darker side of himself and a much older Shadow, who has thought Sonic long since dead. Sonadow, with hints of Shadilver.
1. Prologue One

**Prologue: Part One**

Sonic shot awake, almost falling out of the Tornado in his haste. The fast heartbeat from his fear mixed in his ears with the turbulent push of wind, creating a loud pulsating sound until he calmed down. Another nightmare. Wonderful. His lungs filled with the air coming at him from all sides as he took deep breaths. He was safe here. He was safe now. It wasn't quite the same as when he was running at top speed, but the wind going past did calm him.

"Be careful, Sonic," Tails called from the cockpit, his yells barely audible. "The biplane structure makes the Tornado unstable. If you fell out of the plane, you'd probably die on impact."

His breaths finally slowed to a normal pace, and Sonic groaned. "I wouldn't die, Tails. I've taken way worse falls than this."

He pulled in his left foot which, unknown to Tails, had been hanging off the side of the plane. _At least my shoe didn't come off_, Sonic thought to himself. _Tails would never let me hear the end of it if he had to make more friction resistant shoes._ He rolled his shoulders back and crossed his arms as he sat up in his seat. "I'm just antsy. I'm not exactly used to sitting still for, like, ever."

Tails turned slightly to look at Sonic out of the corner of his eye before returning his gaze to the skies in front of him. "You're the one who wanted to sit in the seat this time. And to be fair, you needed to get some sleep."

"Fair enough." Sonic grimaced. Tails knew he had been having nightmares – they'd been hitting hard since he fell from the ARK two weeks ago – but whenever he tried to bring it up, Sonic would say something about getting to bed earlier, or making his sleeping place more comfortable. They tried most of the tricks that normally help people sleep more, but it didn't alleviate the actual problem – Sonic was scared of something. And while Tails could probably guess the general themes, Sonic never talked about the specific content of his nightmares to him. The boy was still so young, and it was too close. Too personal.

A cloud passed overhead, allowing the sun's warm light to come through. Reveling in its warmth, Sonic stretched toward the sky and let out a fake yawn. Maybe it was for the best that he woke up – wouldn't want to sleep through such a perfect day.

"So. Um. How long until we land, anyway?" Sonic said. "Shadow hasn't seen me in three days. He might get worried, I think. Maybe. I don't know. But anyway, when are we getting there?" He tried to say it as nonchalantly as he could muster, but it didn't quite work; his nervousness shined through. He knew, and Tails knew, that it was Sonic that was actually worried.

It was another thing they didn't talk about.

"An hour and a half. Two hours if we hit unexpected wind resistance."

Sonic groaned again, this time in agitation. "You mean I gotta sit in this plane like this for another two hours? But he could be dead by now!"

"Hour and a half. And if he was dead, Maria would call–"

"Well, what if she's dead too? What if Eggman took advantage of me being gone to sneak an attack?"

"Eggman doesn't know where Shadow is right now. He's probably still grumbling about the Lost Hex."

"And that's the other thing! What if we didn't fix everything back there? What if that life-sucker thing reacted with the Dark Gaia in his body is screwed things up? What if their communicator is broken? What if –"

"Sonic, stop," Tails laughed. Sonic gave him a short glare. What, was this funny to him? "Your mouth runs as fast as you do. Shadow is fine, and you're being ridiculous. Now, are you going to let me fly the plane or not?"

Sonic blinked. "You never used to talk to me like that."

Tails didn't reply, instead leaning in to focus on the controls. It was startling how much older he seemed these days. Even before the Lost Hex, or the resurgence of the Werehog – heck, even before Sonic's birthday, he'd been acting more self assured then before. More independent. Less compliant. If he had to pin it down, he'd say it probably started when the world split open and the Werehog first appeared. The kid used to look up to Sonic like he was an infallible hero, the perfect role model. But when he changed shape to that… thing… because of Dark Gaia, his limitations had began to show. He was susceptible to Dark Gaia in a monstrous way, subject to a shorter temper, higher aggression, and frustration at his lack of typical abilities. That, and the fox's growing age must have had an effect on Tails. And when the Werehog's had its second, worse incarnation, it just made the divide even larger….

Again, another thing they wouldn't talk about. The list was getting longer.

Sonic grabbed the sides of the plane and began to stand up. "Whatever. I'm gonna head up to the top of the plane. I may not be able to do much, but I can at least keep lookout."

"Sure you won't fall off?"

Sonic scoffed. "No need to get protective. I've done this hundreds of times. It's not like I'm going to fall asleep standing up."

"I've seen weirder. Especially from you." Tails pushed a few buttons on the dashboard, and with a mechanical whirring Sonic's normal perch came on top of the plane. The rod waved slightly from side to side, but Sonic knew it was stable. If there was one thing he could count on, it was Tails' craftsmanship.

"Thanks buddy."

"Just head up there, would you?"

Sonic heeded the fox's words, climbing up with his typical agility over the wings of the biplane. Grabbing the bar that protruded over the pedestal, he looked out over the wispy clouds and the green meadows below the ground. He couldn't see the safehouse quite yet, but he still surveyed the area diligently for stray robots or flying bombs. He knew that seeing the house sooner wouldn't make them land sooner, but he was somehow convinced, deep in his mind, that his willful staring would make time to go by faster. He hadn't seen Shadow in three days. And though he normally prided himself on always moving from place to place, and while he wouldn't admit it out loud, he found himself looking forward to stopping to see him.

* * *

Shadow, meanwhile, felt his entire left arm burn with searing hot pain as an explosion erupted from the front of his hand and arced to the ceiling. "Damn it!" he screamed at nobody in particular, looking at the after effects of yet another attempt at a Chaos Spear. This time, some charring on the walls, a broken light fixture, and some singeing of his own fur. It wasn't permanent damage – walls could be cleaned, lights could be fixed, and fur grew back. Given that he stayed alive long enough for it to, anyway.

He sighed, feeling his weight on the bed.

The fox had told him that this was potentially a positive sign. In a body largely reliant on Chaos Energy for survival, everyone thought he was going to die in days after being inoculated with artificial Dark Gaia. He defied their expectations, surviving at the cost of slight pain when moving and, frustratingly for him, with no ability to use Chaos powers. Sure, he could try – oh Chaos, did he try – but if anything, he was losing his ability with each passing day. Tails said he probably should stop using them altogether because they didn't know if it would make the infection spread faster. And usually, he complied… when Tails was around, at least. This "luck" would not last forever – he knew it was spreading fast, especially without Sonic here – but he was still alive. That had to count for something. Right?

He sat up in his bed, with some difficulty. A small grunt escaped his lips, unconsciously. Shadow's body was a bizarre mishmash of hedgehog and space alien, and even with the information Tails could gather from G.U.N.'s computer, they could never figure out exactly what the ratio of the two was. All they knew was that he did not turn into a werehog at night like Sonic used to, so whatever his reaction was, it was primarily Black Arm. He suspected that the Dark Gaia was inhibiting the streams of Chaos Energy in his body, making it so painful to move. Eventually, if left unchecked, it would poison all the Chaos Energy stores in his body and kill him, slowly and painfully. Tails and Maria thought the hypothesis was interesting, their shared love of the science making their eyes practically sparkle with enthusiasm. It took all the willpower they could muster to keep their focus on finding a safe method of extraction of the Dark Gaia. Even then, they both took plenty of samples of everything. Blood, fur, saliva – all in tiny jars, lining the lab cabinets for after the crisis passed.

Sonic didn't care about the details of the science. He just wanted Shadow better. And being next to him made him happy and kept the Dark Gaia moving at a glacial pace.

It was nice.

With a clatter, a great thud sounded over Shadow's head. Dust fell from the ceiling, along with (he could swear) a few sparks from the broken light fixture. Shadow growled as he pushed the white powder off his fur. It could mean one of two things. Either Eggman had finally found the safehouse and they were under attack, or….

"Nice landing, Tails!" came a yell from aboveground. "Just how I used to do it! Funny how time flies!"

That moron.

Shadow walked to the lab, where Maria was looking over the most recent bloodwork. He almost hated to interrupt – as much time as they had spent together recently, it still felt nice to see her sitting there, looking so intently through her microscope. It reminded him of times long since past, when she would study books on nearly every subject given to her by Gerald Robotnik. She had always been brilliant; he chocked it up to good genetics. But what was more, she had a great work ethic. Being surrounded by some of the best scientists in the world made a strong impression on her; everyone was always involved in some experiment or another with very little downtime, and they would describe their work in words Shadow barely understood. Maria had never wanted to be the one person on the colony who was idle, so she was not – and it was a good thing she wasn't, given their need for her work in the current situation.

Some things had changed, though. He could not totally ignore her new body, either in its origins or its exceptional bill of health. Her favorite blue dress got singed in the fire, so she wore clothes picked up from secondhand stores until she had the time to repair it. Furthermore, she always looked tired. Yes, she was dedicating long hours to her work, but beyond that, she hadn't slept well since the ARK incident. None of them had.

"Maria," Shadow called, "Tails and Sonic are back."

She looked up from the microscope. Her blonde hair fell over her eyes for only a moment before she pushed it away with her fingers. It looked like she hadn't brushed it in a while. "It's about time. How long have they been gone?"

"Three days."

"They said it'd be only a few hours."

"You don't have to tell me that. Are you coming up?"

"Give me a minute or two to wrap things up here. I could probably stand to go outside."

Shadow stifled a laugh, the sound coming out as a hmph. Strange words to escape her mouth – the girl who had always dreamed of coming to earth. "Take all the time you need. I'll let them know you're coming."

"Sure." She smiled as she turned back to the microscope. With meticulous attention to detail, she began to put away petri dishes, notes, tubes, and measuring tools. Apparently, she had either done all the work she was intending to do, or whatever she was doing had served as another search for no answers. It was discouraging, but not unexpected; for all the work they'd been doing, there had actually been very little process.

Shadow knew better than to try to help, as he tended to put things in the wrong places, so instead he went on without her. He walked out of the lab, down the hallway, and up to a steel ladder. He winced in anticipation; the more strenuous the activity, the more it tended to hurt, and while climbing a ladder wasn't anywhere near the strain of his old runs with Sonic, it was certainly more than walking. Each rung made a grunt escape his lips, his breathing getting heavier the further he went, but once he got going, he refused to stop. It'd be embarrassing if anyone else was around. He'd been coddled for the past three weeks, with Sonic wanting to carry him everywhere to avoid the slightest discomfort. Shadow would let him, but he was still perfectly capable of doing things without assistance. What's a little pain for someone like him? At least, that's what he told himself.

At the top of the ladder, he pushed up the hidden hatch to the outside world. The bright sunlight stung his eyes at first, but it was only a moment before they adjusted. The sun made his dark fur shine, and as he gave one final heave, he laid down on the warm grass. His panting slowed to long even breaths, and he resisted the urge to close his eyes. In, out, in, out came his breath. Just a moment on the ground, he thought. Then he'd get up and rip Sonic a new one. But first, rest a little.

Almost on cue, he felt an unnatural breeze, followed by a heavy thud on the ground next to him. Without even looking at him, Shadow could tell Sonic was sitting next to him – probably with that goofy grin of his. He would not return the favor; Shadow wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Hey, I thought you weren't supposed to leave the safehouse? I mean, I'm here, so obviously you're safe now, but what if GUN found out you were here? Or Eggy?"

Shadow grumbled at him. The hedgehog cast a shadow on top of him, blocking the precious sunlight. "I am capable of taking care of myself. And where have you been? You were only supposed to be gone for a day this time!"

"Yeah, well, tell that to Knucklehead. The island's been moving around so much lately it took a full day to find him. Personally, I think he's a bit paranoid about something."

"A full day for the 'fastest thing alive' to find a slowly moving hunk of rock? I could do it in half the time."

"Tails said you shouldn't be moving at all."

"Like hell I won't."

Sonic swooped down and kissed him. It was fast, only a quick peck – but after three days, it might as well have been a literal sweep off his feet. Maybe it was that they had been apart, or maybe it was their natural chemistry, but they still had that electricity when they kissed; most of the fight swept out of him in a wave of excited, fervent energy, and his heart beat just a little faster.

"Let's stop arguing, okay?" Sonic said, leaning over Shadow. His quills were very disheveled, but it was natural after flying in the Tornado for a long time, and though he looked slightly tired, it did not dull the spark in his green eyes. His face bore a mischievous smile, but he couldn't hide the red coming to his cheeks. He was just as happy to see Shadow as Shadow was to see Sonic – and to be honest, that made Shadow feel very good. "After all, I've been all over the place looking for stuff to make you better. And I think we've got a great plan this time."

Shadow rolled his eyes. "And what is this plan?"

Sonic sat up, coming to his feet. He offered a hand to Shadow and helped him up. "We go to the Gaia expert himself. We're going to talk to Chip."

** ((AN: Well, after over half a year, I'm finally beginning to publish parts of the sequel to ****_I Don't Want To Be A Monster_****. I've rewritten ideas for this story so many times it was maddening, but I think I found the perfect blend of new material and things people loved about the old one. I hope you continue reading, and it's good to be writing for my favorite two hedgehogs again.))**


	2. Prologue Two

**Prologue: Part Two**

Technically speaking, Shadow's bed was too small to fit two hedgehogs. It had been a medical cot, once, used for treating patients in single wards. Tails wasn't too picky when trying to get bedding for a safehouse. In some places, the springs were slightly loose. The sheets were gray with age. And though Shadow didn't toss and turn much as he slept, he did note that one leg was shorter than the others, making the bed rock when there was more than a little movement.

It didn't seem to bother Sonic and Shadow. They made do.

"I haven't slept in an actual bed in days," Sonic said. He dangled his ungloved hand in the air, looking at it absentmindedly as it hovered. The other dangled by his waist, where the fingers lightly touched Shadow's. "That's the thing about going to Angel Island – you sleep on planes, in caves, in temples… but there's probably some ancient Echidna precept against having anything that's even slightly comfortable."

"Didn't you run around all the time before?" Shadow asked. "I would think that you were used to that kind of thing by now."

"Well, yeah. Doesn't mean I can't appreciate a nice, soft bed. Especially with good company."

Shadow blushed, but said nothing in reply. Instead, he moved closer and closed his eyes. It was peaceful here, at least. This wasn't normally Sonic's kind of thing – it wasn't his style to stay in any one place for long periods of time – but the circumstances at the moment called for it. Shadow felt pain when he moved significantly, so Tails wanted him to stay in the bed as much as possible. Aside from that, GUN was still looking for him after his little "disappearing act," so the others had decided it was best for him to stay indoors. Shadow had been ambivalent towards the idea; he had spent his entire young life on a space colony, so it wasn't like he was unused to being confined to small spaces. He just didn't like it.

No, Shadow was more concerned about Sonic's wellbeing. See, he knew that being kept underground while he recovered would result in one of two things for Sonic. The first was that Sonic would stay behind with him to be a doting companion… which would kill Sonic on the inside. The second was that Sonic would continue to go off on his own to keep protecting the world and leave Shadow alone… which would kill Shadow on the inside. Quite literally, if he believed his suspicions about the role of positive emotions and the stalling of Dark Gaia. Neither option was particularly good for either of them.

Even now, Shadow could see Sonic moving his hand in the air in different directions – clockwise, counterclockwise, up and down, side to side – and he knew that he was bored inside this plain white room.

"I don't like being apart from you, Sonic."

"I know. But it's necessary."

"Most of the time you up and leave, with no warning at all."

"Eggman doesn't give time for warnings, Shadow. You know that. You've fought him enough times."

"And this last time, with the Lost Hept–"

"Hex. It was the Lost Hex."

"Still, though. You didn't contact me once to say where you were, or that you were fighting angry aliens, or that the earth may have been killed!"

Sonic smirked, lowering his hand to pinch Shadow's cheek. "Aw, what's the matter? Is Shadow getting a little clingy?"

"No, just annoyed." Shadow batted the pinching fingers away. A stubborn frown stuck on his face. "It is frustrating when I don't where you are or if you need help."

"What do you want me to do, Shadow?" Sonic asked him more seriously. "I can't exactly leave Eggman alone to kill and enslave the planet." The words weren't angry. Merely a statement of fact.

"I know you can't. That's why I want you to take me with you."

Sonic looked at Shadow inquisitively. His hands froze in place. "But… you've got the Dark Gaia."

"So did you. I don't remember that stopping you."

"That's because when I had it, I turned into a monster. For better or worse, I was a big, hairy furball that could stretch my arms and crush rocks with my fists whenever I felt like it." He could hear some annoyance slip into Sonic's voice – as much as he tried to stay calm for Shadow's sake, he couldn't contain his emotions for long. He was too honest for that. "If you weren't the Ultimate Lifeform, you would have died because of me up on the ARK. You're trying to hide how sick you are now, but I see you flinching and shaking. There's no way you can fight right now."

"You're right. I am the Ultimate Lifeform. And that's why I should be helping." Shadow tried to remain stable, but his hands began to shake. He wasn't much for hiding what he thought either. "Protecting this planet is the whole reason that I am still here. But instead of letting me come with you to fulfill my purpose, you're leaving me here alone."

"You can't protect anyone if you're dead, Shadow! And I'd be alone if you were gone!"

With a small rush, pain coursed through Shadow's body. It was as though his blood had grown thicker in an instant, and his heart couldn't push it through fast enough. His whole body felt sluggish. His chest pounded. He tried to conceal the flinch as best as he could, embarrassed by his inability to control himself, but he still felt himself curling up in a ball, his spines standing on end. Shadow inwardly scolded himself. He'd had Dark Gaia in his body for weeks, so shouldn't he be better at handling the bouts of pain by now? But telling himself that only make the pain take hold faster. Dark Gaia preyed upon people's hearts, using the sadness and anger as fuel. And unlike Sonic, Shadow was not pure of heart – his body seared with reminders of just how not pure of heart he was.

The room felt cold. Looking down, Shadow realized that Sonic was tightly gripping his hand. They were shaking, and it took a moment for Shadow to realize that the motion was coming from his own hands. Shadow cursed. It was true – he couldn't hide his limits, much as he wanted to. Sonic's eyes were widened with concern, his other hand rushing to the side of Shadow's head.

"Shadow? Are you okay?" Sonic asked.

He shook his head, turning over in an attempt to avoid eye contact. "No," he replied. "I'm not."

Sonic paused a second. Shadow had broken the hold Sonic had on his hands, and he was breathing frantically. Remembering a gesture from long ago, Sonic moved his hands to Shadow's quills. With slow motions, he ran his fingers through the large tangled mess, leaving trails of touch through from the root to the tips, and avoiding the sharp ends as only someone with experience could. Stray quills fell occasionally, but they weren't bothersome. In fact, it felt strangely comforting to lose the dead weight. Shadow leaned his head on Sonic's chest as the pain gently subsided. He unfurled from his ball, and his quills began to slack.

Sonic was the only thing in his life that could consistently make the Dark Gaia calm down. It never fully went away, true – if it were as simple as that, they would have solved this problem a long time ago. But though it was no cure, Sonic's care helped him through the worst of it. It was like a boat's anchor, keeping him from drifting too far despite typhoons and tidal waves that tried to send him to his darkest place. Other things helped too, like seeing Maria smiling at her work, or telling her stories of his travels before this mess began, but they were not as consistent or powerful as seeing someone he truly, deeply loved. He felt the throbbing continue, a constant reminder of his condition, but it did not overtake him, instead settling into syncopation with his heartbeat.

"I won't die," Shadow said, closing his eyes. "Not as long as you're with me."

He couldn't see or hear Sonic's response to the words, only feeling the pushing of the fingers through the quills, the echoing waves of the ocean.

"You're really smart, Tails. Did anyone ever tell you that?"

The unexpected comment normally would have startled Tails out of his concentration, but he had just finished his work – right now, he was just making final connections. "Not nearly often enough," he laughed, pushing up his googles. He looking at his work for the first time completely unobscured by goggles, grinning. It wasn't pretty, but it was (hopefully) functional, which was more than anyone else could say. It was a perfect circle of metal, about three and a half meters tall, with a very solid base connecting it to the floor. It was hooked up to both his computer for coordinates, a general electrical wire, and the docking station for the red Chaos Emerald. He couldn't help but feel a small rush of pride at this accomplishment – sure, he knew he had solid technical skills, but the level of expertise needed for a time travel machine was far beyond anything he had tried so far. In fact, it was beyond anything ever tried before – if this worked, it would be the first time a man made machine could reliably send someone back in time.

Outwardly, though, Tails stayed modest. "Actually, this is a lot simpler than you'd think. It's not like I hadn't seen time travel before."

"You have?"

"More than once, actually. Though one time it was the work of a giant dark-god-looking-thing who almost destroyed all of time, so maybe that isn't the best example."

Maria laughed lightly to herself, covering her mouth with one hand. Her other clung to the hem of her shirt. "You'll have to tell me the story, sometime. It sounds exciting."

Tails smiled at her. "Sure," he said, and he genuinely meant it. He always thought that he and Maria could learn a lot from each other – apparently, she had spent a lot of time around the world's top scientists, and she still didn't know so much about what it was like to live on the planet's surface. He always meant to spend some time with her, showing her some of the things she hadn't experienced up there. After all, how great would it be to give Maria her first ice cream cone? Or take her to a park and teach her how to ride a bicycle? Or even a simple trip to the store? There were so many firsts that they had not had. Right now, though, they had more pressing priorities.

"Is the machine ready?" Maria asked him.

"In a second." Winding up his arm, Tails slammed the wrench into the side of the machine. It began to spark and sputter, eventually forming a swirling purple energy field inside. He smiled – his work coming to fruition at last. "Okay, it's ready. Do you want to call those two in here?"

Maria nodded, pressing a button on the computer. "The machine is ready to go, Sonic. We can use it whenever is most convenient for yo–"

A second later, Maria's hair flew upwards. There, standing in front of her, was Sonic, holding a very embarrassed Shadow bridal style.

"Put. Me. Down!"

"You can't exactly run right now. What else was I supposed to do?"

"Let me walk!"

"But what's the fun in that?"

Tails rolled his eyes. These two bickered all the time – with how different they were, it was a bit of a surprise that they'd been together this long – but he had long since learned this was just how they worked. They fought, but never about anything too serious; it was more to keep things interesting and to cling to their independence then any internal conflict.

"Well, now we're here, so can you put me down? I can stand just fine."

"Fine, fine, Mr. Grumpy."

Surely enough, Sonic put Shadow down. The black hedgehog adjusted his quills before crossing his arms, maintaining his usual surly outlook. "So this is the machine?" Shadow said, inspecting the swirling vortex. Strangely enough, he seemed impressed. Maria wasn't the only one who had been on the ARK after all, and he could recognize a well made device when he saw one.

"It sure is. Specially designed for a two way trip to a designated period in time – you do have Chip's bracelet with you, right Sonic?"

"Yep," he said, tossing said bracelet in the air and catching it. "Glad I had gotten it earlier. Knuckles keeps everything nice and safe for me. If only he could protect that giant rock that well."

The fox snickered. "Heh heh, yeah. Well, that will help lock you on to the right time period, so keep a hold of it. Put it on over the glove so that Chip can see it."

"Why does that matter?"

"Credibility, creating a stable time paradox, you know. The usual."

Sonic tossed and caught the bracelet one more time before placing it on his wrist. The green gem shined with the reflection of the vortex's colors. It was almost hypnotizing. "Anything else, Tails?"

"Yeah. Be careful about what you take in there with you. This isn't like Time Eater or the Time Stones – I don't know how stable this vortex is. Don't let your past self touch it, or it might disturb the fabric of space and time."

"Just what we need – another crisis. Gotcha."

Sonic looked at the vortex quickly before turning to Shadow. Tails couldn't see the blue hedgehog's face anymore, but he could tell from the stiff posture and mechanical thumbs up that he was probably forcing a smile again. "I'll try to get back safely, Shadow," he said. "Don't worry about me."

The black hedgehog exhaled through his teeth. "Just get back soon."

"Isn't that a little cold?"

"Why waste time on a drawn out farewell when you'll be right back," Shadow said, raising an eye ridge. "Correct?"

Sonic laughed nervously while Tails rolled his eyes. "Ha ha. Busted. But I guess that's true – I won't be gone long, Shadow. I promise."

"It better not be –"

"– And," Sonic interrupted, "when I do come back, I will have a cure for you. Just watch. I'll be back before you count to five."

Sonic gave Shadow a quick kiss, then tumbled into the swirling blue portal, flipping into it for flair's sake. "Show off," Shadow mumbled under his breath, to the amusement of both Maria and Tails. They glanced at each other before Shadow began to count aloud.

"One.

"Two.

"Three.

"Four.

"Five."

A loud crack thundered through the room. The vortex started swirling chaotically. The light purple color transformed to a mix of deep blues and purples, the angry pushing and electric sparks resembling shielded his eyes as Shadow pulled Maria away protecting her with his own body. The vortex grew until, with a shake, it imploded. The boom itself could have told Tails his machine was broken, even without the material being horrifically warped. His nice, even circle had become a crescent, the odd spark signaling broken electrical lines. Tails felt his heart drop in his chest, and he could see Maria's eyes well up. Part of his was sad at the destruction of his machine, but this had worse implications as well. With this broken, there was no easy way for Sonic to return home.

**((AN: Thank God, the annoying exposition phase is over. Now I can start on the real story – the plot, the romance, the adventure, the heartbreak, the truth. Also, you just know that if Sonic is warned not to do something, he's going to do it. At this point, you have to wonder why Tails bothers. Anyway, thanks for reading, everybody! I'll do my best to update in a timely fashion.))**


	3. No Answers, Only Problems

**Chapter One: No Answers, Only Problems**

As Sonic tumbled out of the other end of the portal, he felt a strange mix of heat and sickness hit him like a wave. Air rushed by his head, and it felt like he had landed in the middle of a tropical storm. When he tried to get his bearings, he realized that his feet never hit ground. Instead, he only kept spinning, the world rushing by him in mixed browns, reds, and purples.

"Wha – Whoa!"

The situation came at him with stunning clarity, after taking a moment to adjust. The portal had been over the same place as the place built in the future, but it had only been recently made to hide Shadow underground. The land was especially cheap, so it seemed like a good deal, and the seller seemed eager to get rid of it.

Now he could see why. It was still loose soil from when the Earth was split by large cracks. Including the crack he was currently falling into. Lovely.

Sonic waved his arms in the air, slowing the spinning down until he stayed horizontal, feet facing the wall. _This should be no problem, _he thought. _How many times have I jumped up two walls like this? It's a bit far, but if I push myself, I'm sure I can make it. Right?_ Stretching out his arms and legs, Sonic grazed the sides of the chasm with the tips of his fingers. Grinning, he felt stones brush by. He didn't need a lot of leverage to start moving up – just a quick shove would get him moving, and once he started moving, he wouldn't stop.

Just when he was completely in the dark, he felt a large rock hit his hands. Not wasting time, he grabbed it before pushing off hard. Slamming into the other wall, Sonic began his upward motions. Springing with strong legs, he bounced from one side to the other, trying to keep his confidence despite the sides getting further apart. He had fallen deeper than he thought he had – certainly a distance he hadn't scaled by wall jumping before – and with a little worry, he realized his legs beginning to ache. "Just… a little… further!" he exclaimed, ignoring the burning sensation. Sweat pooled on his face from the exertion. He stretched his body further. He was so close to the top….

With a sickening slip, when his foot slid on the side of the wall, not gaining traction. Sonic felt his stomach drop as he began to plummet again. He tried to regain some kind of grip, but it was no good – there weren't any sturdy rocks on the side of the chasm. He slid down, picking up speed the further he went as he began to fall again. His eyes widened with panic as he gasped for breath. _This is it, I'm done for. There's no way I can pull off that jump again. And Knuckles never taught me how to climb…._

Before he completely lost hope, what appeared to be a giant arm stretched down and grabbed him. He felt himself get enveloped in the grip – it felt very warm, almost hot, and tight against his body. The jerking motion from stopping his fall almost gave Sonic whiplash, even before the same arm flung him upward towards the sky. Surprised by the interruption, Sonic could only take gasping breaths as he was let go, this time going away from the chasm. After flying in the air for a second or two, he landed, face first, in the dirt about a hundred meters away. He groaned, slightly bruised, but ultimately he was grateful that he was still alive.

From near the hole, Sonic could hear footsteps. Or at least, they sounded like footsteps – the pace seemed more like a horse gallopping than someone running. They became heavier as they grew closer, though Sonic couldn't see their source, busy trying to dislodge himself. However, he could hear the approaching creature as it asked him, "Hey, are you alright?"

The voice was scraggly and rough, but he recognized it from somewhere. Finally removing his face from the dirt (how many times had he landed face first in dirt now?), he cleared the mess from his eyes to see another pair, just as green and clear as his own, widen in surprise.

"Wait a minute," the savior said, "you look just like…."

"You in the daytime," Sonic said, his voice growing more quiet as the sentence went on. The figure in front of him was massive, with a torso at least twice as large as Sonic's own. It would have towered over him had it stood up straight, but at the moment, it was hunched over, balancing on both hands and legs while trying to look Sonic in the eye. Its navy blue and silver fur were darker and shaggier than Sonic's own, and even his shoes had spikes on them. His Werehog form… but this time, it was removed from himself, as it had only been for him in nightmares before. Sonic blinked a few times. It felt strange to see the beast in front of him. He could understand why so many people were afraid of it. In fact, thanks to his own memories, he felt a small prickle of fear himself, even though it had saved him mere moments ago. Involuntarily, he felt himself tense up. "I don't remember meeting myself here. This is strange," he said, "but I guess it wouldn't be the first time I forgot meeting my future self, though."

The Werehog looked at him with narrowed eyes. "So, wait. You're me… from the future?"

"Yeah."

"No way. How do I know you're telling the truth?"

Sonic pulled out the bracelet. The gem on it seemed to have lost its shine, but that may have been due to the darkness of the night around them. The Werehog looked at it intently. "There's a gem like this one around Chip's neck. He gave it to me when we parted ways, which hasn't happened to you yet, but it will." Sonic put the bracelet back on his wrist, then looked up with a nervous smirk. "Plus, the portal I came through is right there. Kind of obvious."

The beast looked over her left shoulder at the portal. Without warning, it let out a full bodied laugh. "Ha ha! Maybe I forgot meeting me because I can't see things under my own nose! Ha ha ha ha!" The beast clenched its side from laughing, and Sonic felt his fears ease slightly. This isn't the Werehog that wreaked havoc on the ARK, or the Werehog that attacked the GUN soldiers. It certainly wasn't the Werehog of his nightmares – overwhelmed with destructive malice and senseless rage. No, it was curious. It made jokes. It wasn't even an it, but a he. Really, truly, this was himself. And Sonic felt foolish for ever thinking otherwise.

The laughter calmed down, and the Werehog looked at Sonic with a smile. He stood up, crossing his large arms and looking down at Sonic. "Well, now that you're here, can you help us fix this world-breaking-apart problem? I mean, you've done it before, so you've got to remember how."

Sonic shook his head. "I'm kind of on a tight schedule. I don't know when that portal is going to close, but I think it's supposed to be soon. You and Chip do fix it eventually." Suddenly remembering who could actually help him, Sonic looked back and forth frantically. "Speaking of which, where is he? I don't see him around."

The Werehog looked sheepish, scratching the back of his head with his large claws and breaking out into an embarrassed grin. Sonic noted, with a little anxiety, how sharp his teeth were. "He, uh, is stuck inside of one of the Gaia temples. He got sucked into one of their murals, and I tried pounding on the walls and everything, but he isn't coming out."

Sonic cursed under his breath, and the Werehog looked puzzled. Sonic couldn't remember Chip being stuck in the temple for that long, but it had also been so long ago. "Look," it said, putting a hand on Sonic's shoulder, "he'll be out soon. Everything is going to be alright."

"Not for Shadow it's not. Unless I can talk to Chip and find some way to save him before the portal closes, he – he might…." Sonic couldn't let himself finish the sentence. Even if this didn't work out, there had to be some other way to keep Shadow from… dying. The Werehog looked confused, so Sonic took a deep breath. "He was infected with Dark Gaia. Well, artificial Dark Gaia, but the effects are the same."

"Let me guess – Mr. Grumpy does not take well to turning into this," he said, gesturing to himself, "at night."

"Actually, no. He's not fully from this Earth, so his body doesn't have a way to handle it. And because the artificial stuff multiplies, it gets stronger over time. If we can't find a way to get it out soon –"

"– Shadow might die." Looking up at his past self's face, Sonic could see worry strike the Werehog's face. It refused to make eye contact with him, instead looking at the large crack in the earth. "I haven't seen him in this whole time. I always thought he could fend for himself, but if what you're saying is true–"

"Then he's in trouble. But you can fix normal Dark Gaia by putting the world back together, and you will. After all, I've done it. I just need something a little more… forceful for the future."

The Werehog grimaced and shook his head. With a twinge of worry, Sonic could see his shoulders tense up. He remembered feeling tense before he would hit things in that form. "I don't know how to help. I'm sorry," it said, its voice growing deeper, "and I don't think Chip would be able to help either. He's just a little guy, you know – can't even remember his real name. He can't help Shadow."

"…He can help more than you know. He might be the only one that can," Sonic said, but paused. Tails' words of warning and his own joke about creating a paradox echoed in his head, and he realized just how much of the past he was changing. He had not only touched his past self, but told him about the future.

Their conversation was interrupted when the portal began to spark and change color. Sonic turned to face it. "I've never used one of these before, but I think that means I have to go." He tried to smile to appease his past self, but the worried face did not subside. Sonic didn't know how to take it. Or did I know how I felt about him, even back then? "Look, I'll do anything I can to help him. You know I will."

"…Yeah, you would. Because I would do the same thing, and we're the same person…right?"

A warm flush came over him. "Right…" he said, finding himself turning fully away from his past self quicker than usual. He approached the portal, sighing in resignation. He'd have to Tails about finding a way to keep it open longer…maybe make it less menacing….

He felt his body jerk forward into the portal. It wasn't like when he'd gone through before where he could just step in. It wasn't even like Time Eater's portals, which drew him in slowly. This portal pulled him – and only him – into it with a forceful yank. With a note of dismay, he realized it felt like being grabbed by the Werehog's paw and then thrown – except this time, he hadn't the faintest clue of his final destination. His head, feet, and arms seemed to pulse with a cold electricity. It was very painful – more than his transformation to the Werehog used to be – but through the pain he could see his own body, and more importantly, that it stayed the same shape. If whatever this was transformed him, it wasn't in any way that he could see.

His vision slowly blurred from the pain, but he could see the storm of the portal, jerking him in all directions, spark with purples, blues, and reds. It was unlike any storm Sonic had seen before. Hurricanes, tornados, thunderstorms, earthquakes… none of it had this raw energy and raging wind. The jerking made it seem all the worse, and he wondered if it would ever end.

Closing his eyes, he felt the whirlwind begin to slow. The purples over his eyes shifted to deep reds. Then cyan. Then black.

**((AN: Okay, I lied. There is some exposition in this chapter. But it's not bad to have exposition! This story involves a few assumptions. One, that none of those involved remember 06's events. For all they know, the Time Stones and Time Eater are the only instances of time travel they've done. Two, that the duration of time that Chip is "finding himself" as Light Gaia is longer than the game would imply, which I think is entirely plausible. Three, that different methods of time travel have different stabilities – Time Eater's is erratic because it wasn't meant to be sustainable long enough to hold time together, the Time Stones are stable because it is their intended purpose, and 06's Chaos Control induced time travel falls somewhere between the two. Artificially created time travel is relatively unstable, though that may improve as technology gets better. If you can't subscribe to any of these ideas, then I'm sorry I've ruined the experience for you. In any case, thank you for reading.))**


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